Johnnie Lee Savory was first arrested for a double murder he did not
commit at the age of 14. (Juvenile laws?) His sentence was commuted
last year by the Governor of Illinois. He is now 50 and has spent most
of his life in jail. He is asking the Governor of Illinois to allow DNA
tests which he says will fully exonerate him, but Governor Quinn is
refusing even though it would cost the state nothing, because supporters
will cover the costs. The New York Times reported in 2009 that prosecutors often block potentially exculpatory DNA tests.

Supporters include five former U.S. Attorneys,
authors John Grisham and Studs Terkel. If you watch no other TV show
in 2012, watch this Tavis Smiley episode. It could change your view of
life. I cried.

On January 17, 1977, James Robinson, 14, and his 18 year old sister,
Connie Cooper, were murdered in their Peoria home. By all accounts, it
was a gruesome, senseless waste of life. It is no less to Johnnie Lee
Savory. James was a close friend of Johnnie's, a friend with whom he
attended school. Grieving for the loss of a close friend at age 14 is
painful enough. Imagine the pain in having to fight for you own life in
the process. Johnnie Lee Savory was convicted for the murders of his
friend and his friend's sister. For 22 years, his life has been a living
hell. To fully comprehend Johnnie's misery, you have to look at the
facts of the case. He was convicted on one piece of evidence; coerced,
inculpatory statements made after hours of grueling interrogation.
Statement, which on appeal, the Court deemed never should have been
allowed. On January 25, 1977, Johnnie Lee Savory was abducted from his
school by the Peoria Police Department, vigorously interrogated,
stripped naked so hair sample could be taken from his body, and coerced
into confessing to a crime that he had not committed. This confession
was the sole piece of evidence the State had to justify their torture of
this young boy. There was no physical evidence linking Johnnie to the
crime scene.

*According to Police and lab reports, "..fingernail

scrapings (from the right hand of Connie (victim),

and hair taken form Connie's right hand, hair from

Robinson's left hand"" "None Match Savory's"

"fingerprints found in the home of the victims"

NONE MATCH SAVORY'S"

Another startling fact that is unquestionably in Johnnie's favor was
the family dog. The presence of the dog in the Robinson's home at the
time of the murder alone is proof of Johnnie's innocence. The dog was
very protective of James and Connie. He would not let any stranger in
the Robinson home. Testimony from the victims mother, stepfather,
relatives, and family friends, all affirm the fact that the German
Shepherd was ferocious, and affirm that the dog had to be locked away
from people whom he did not know.

*Troubleman (the dog) had a record, longer than some

criminals, for biting strangers and violent behavior.

*Peter Douglas (victims' stepfather) says the dog was

loose in the house when he arrived home and found the

bodies of the victims.

*Peter Douglas told police that the dog would bite a

stranger, therefore the murderer would have had to

been known by the dog to enter the house. Johnnie's

first visit to the Robinson home was the night before

the murders took place. At that time, the dog had to

be locked in another room for the duration of the

time Johnnie was in the home.

*Renatta Williams (a family friend) says that the dog

is vicious. Police say the dog had to be segregated

during the investigation of the crime scene.

*According to one police report, "The dog barked and

jumped at the door at 10:00 a.m., 1/18/77, when a Del

Farms salesman delivered a pamphlet to the home.

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In 1980 the Illinois Third District Appellate Court ruled that
Johnnie's confession was illegally obtained in violation of his state
and civil constitutional rights. He was never read his Miranda rights at
any time prior to interrogation by Peoria Police and his right to have a
parent present during interrogation was denied.

*The State appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court

to overturn the Appellate Court decision"

That Appeal Was Denied!

*The State then appealed to the United States Supreme

Court"Their Appeal Was Denied!

*State's Attorney Michael Mihm was quoted as saying,

"We cannot retry him (Savory) without his statement,

so that's it, he won't be retried again."

*State's Attorney John Barra was quoted as saying,

"Without it (the confession) there is no substantial

evidence to tie Savory to the crime or the scent of

the crime. I don't know how it would be possible to

try him without it"

Johnnie returned to Peoria County with absolutely NO EVIDENCE against
him. Surprisingly, the State was able to coerce three members of the
same family (Frank, Tina, and Ella Ivy) to testify under oath that
Johnnie had made admissions to each of them on the day of the murders
concerning the deaths of James Robinson and Connie Cooper, adding the
Ivy family to the then growing list of victims in order to secure an
otherwise nonexistent conviction.

Ralph Lopez majored in Economics and Political Science at Yale University. He writes for Truth Out, Alternet, Consortium News, Op-Ed News, and other Internet media. He reported from Afghanistan in 2009 and produced a short documentary film on the (more...)